At a dinner with several advisors in December, former President Donald Trump asked those present who could be his running mate.
The question emerged just after an intrepid representative from New York, Elise Stefanik, had captured national attention after putting in check before Congress the university presidents of Harvard, University of Pennsylvania and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who refused to condemn the rampant antisemitism occurring on their campuses.
So it is not surprising that Stefanik's name came up that day while Trump and his advisors were discussing the possible next candidate for vice president of the United States.
According to an NBC News report, the tough Republican from upstate New York received praise from attendees, and what was surprising was Trump's response when considering her as a potential vice presidential candidate.
"She's a killer," the former president said, according to a person at the dinner who described how Trump nodded when Stefanik was proposed as vice president.
Apparently, after that night, Stefanik has scored many points to be considered Trump's potential running mate, which is perhaps the most crucial decision that the former president will have to make in the coming months if his nomination as the Republican candidate is confirmed.
According to NBC News, eight people familiar with the situation, including people in Trump's orbit, Stefanik fundraisers, and former Trump administration officials, confirmed that the New York Republican is a serious candidate to fill out the Trump presidential ticket.
In addition to her national exposure in recent months, the report explained that Stefanik, who leads the Republican Conference in the House of Representatives, is viewed favorably by Trump because she has become a loyal ally.
According to Trump's advisors, the former president does not want to make "the mistake" he made when choosing Mike Pence as his running mate since he considers him a traitor after the events of January 6 at the Capitol.
Amid rumors about her potential vice presidential candidacy, Stefanik announced she will accompany Trump to New Hampshire to campaign.
Regarding her possible candidacy, the representative from New York had no further comments and limited herself to praising the former president.
"I'm not going to get into any of my conversations with President Trump. I'm honored to call him a friend. I'm proud to be the first member of Congress to have endorsed his re-election, and he had a huge win in Iowa. So we're very excited about that," Stefanik told NBC News.
